Many people have questions about sex after a knee replacement. It’s usually safe to have sex about 4 to 6 weeks after surgery. But you also have to feel ready and be comfortable.
For the first 3 months you have to protect your new joint. These pictures show you the positions that are safe and the ones that aren’t safe for your new knee joint.
- Tell your partner what’s comfortable or if a position causes pain.
- Make sure you’re comfortable before you start. Using pillows may help.
- Move gently and don’t make sudden movements.
- Make sure your partner doesn’t put their full weight on your new knee joint.
Safe positions
When you’re ready, you might try positions where your knee is supported, kept fairly straight, or bends only a little.
Lying on your back, the knee is supported with pillows and fairly straight.
Standing up and leaning over for support, the knee is kept fairly straight without too much pressure.
Lying on your back, the knee is slightly bent with no extra pressure.
Lying on one side with the operated knee on top, the knee is fairly straight with no added pressure.
Unsafe positions
Avoid positions during sex where your knee is bending a lot or where there is a lot of pressure on your knee.
In the kneeling position, the knee bends too much.
Bending over, there is too much pressure on the knee and the knee bends too much.
Credit: Illustrations on this page are from Returning to Sexual Activity following Joint Replacement Surgery (Vancouver Coastal Health, 2013) and Sex after Joint Replacement Surgery (London Health Sciences Centre, 2013)
